As human threats continue to impact natural habitats, there is an increasing need to regularly monitor the trends in large vertebrate populations. Conservation efforts must be directed appropriately, but ... [more ▼]

As human threats continue to impact natural habitats, there is an increasing need to regularly monitor the trends in large vertebrate populations. Conservation efforts must be directed appropriately, but field work necessary for data collection is often limited by time and availability of people. Camera traps are used as an efficient method to insure permanent sampling and to work in difficult to access areas. In the present study, we illustrate the way the use of camera traps developed: firstly with the need to monitor tiger (Panthera tigris (Linnaeus 1758)) populations and later as an instrument serving a diverse field of studies, such as animal behaviour and fauna-flora interaction. By looking at the material and technical aspects of various models of camera trap for implementation in different field studies in animal ecology, we highlight the need to choose appropriate camera trap models for the target species and to set up solid sampling protocols in order to successfully achieve study objectives. [less ▲]

In the wake of the creation of the first community forests in Gabon, the village associations in charge of these forests are handicapped by their own working capacity. Affected by rural exodus ... [more ▼]

In the wake of the creation of the first community forests in Gabon, the village associations in charge of these forests are handicapped by their own working capacity. Affected by rural exodus, communities however rarely integrate the youth (between the ages of 16 to 24) who reside permanently in the village in village associations. The youth are generally excluded from the decision making process of elders. In fact, the youth that reside permanently in the village do not generally hold any diploma and have no professional qualification. Consequently, they are hardly respected by the people around them and their opinions are not taken into account. They are left out of any activity conducted by the associations unless these activities are remunerated. However, the involvement of the youth in village associations is necessary, not only to increase the work capacity, but also to ensure the perpetuation of interventions since the youth will be the first and future beneficiaries of the community forest. [less ▲]

Coula edulis is a non-timber forest tree species that provides edible fruits for local people. However, its economical importance has never been quantified. The present study aimed to identify the fate of ... [more ▼]

Coula edulis is a non-timber forest tree species that provides edible fruits for local people. However, its economical importance has never been quantified. The present study aimed to identify the fate of stocks of harvested C. edulis fruits in Gabonese villages, emphasizing the social impact and economic income generated by this activity. Our investigations revealed that C. edulis fruits are predominantly utilized for own subsistence, since trading proportion concerned less than 20% of collected fruits. The average income from trade during the harvest period (two months) varied from € 1.7 to € 3.3 per household, depending on the proximity of the market (local or urban). The economical potential of C. edulis fruits could be improved if a sustainable production strategy through domestication processes and agroforestry practices was developed. Such a strategy may also contribute to the increase of the local demand of C. edulis fruits, assuming that a better diffusion was also carried out. [less ▲]

Due to the paucity of suitable habitat, hippos are very rare in the Congo Bassin. Compared to East-African populations, Central African populations of hippos have been less studied. Information found in ... [more ▼]

Due to the paucity of suitable habitat, hippos are very rare in the Congo Bassin. Compared to East-African populations, Central African populations of hippos have been less studied. Information found in the literature regarding the animal’s basic ecology is limited. This study focuses on the description of the diet of an isolated hippo population in Loango National Park (Gabon), comparing faecal analysis with a reference collection ofherbaceous species from the savannas. The effectiveness of using faecal analysis versus using the floristic description of hippos’ pastures was demonstrated. The most frequent herbaceous species identified in faeces samples were Paspalum vaginatum, Axonopus compressus, Stenotaphrum secundatum (Poaceae) and Desmodium triflorum (Fabaceae). The voluntary consumption of a dicotyledonous species (Desmodium triflorum) is novel for this species. [less ▲]

Illegal logging is a threat to the world’s tropical forests. To act against overexploitation of timber, the European Union has set up the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade action plan (FLEGT ... [more ▼]

Illegal logging is a threat to the world’s tropical forests. To act against overexploitation of timber, the European Union has set up the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade action plan (FLEGT), which opened the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) negotiating agenda with Cameroon. In 2010, the two parties signed the VPA, committing Cameroon to ensure the legality of timber from all logging concessions sold on external and domestic markets. Community forests (CF) were included in the agreement and must therefore ensure the legality of their timber production. To do that, a specific legality grid has been developed. This was tested in half of active community forests in Cameroon to analyse any gaps between activities as practiced in the field and the legality criteria set out in the legality grid. The result show that no CF fully complied with this grid. The study identified obstacles due to complex procedures and to the excessive costs of compliance. Some criteria not currently met could be complied with through community capacity-building and by amending certain regulations. Under these conditions, community forests could become a source of legal supplies at least for the domestic timber market. [less ▲]

Conservation of natural ecosystems requires regular monitoring of biodiversity, including the estimation of wildlife density. Recently, unmanned aerial systems (UAS) have become more available for ... [more ▼]

Conservation of natural ecosystems requires regular monitoring of biodiversity, including the estimation of wildlife density. Recently, unmanned aerial systems (UAS) have become more available for numerous civilian applications. The use of small drones for wildlife surveys as a surrogate for manned aerial surveys is becoming increasingly attractive and has already been implemented with some success. This raises the question of how to process UAS imagery in order to determine the surface area of sampling strips within an acceptable confidence level. For the purpose of wildlife surveys, the estimation of sampling strip surface area needs to be both accurate and quick, and easy to implement. As GPS and an inertial measurement units are commonly integrated within unmanned aircraft platforms, two methods of direct georeferencing were compared here. On the one hand, we used the image footprint projection (IFP) method, which utilizes collinearity equations on each image individually. On the other hand, the Structure from Motion (SfM) technique was used for block orientation and georeferencing. These two methods were compared on eight sampling strips. An absolute orientation of the strip was determined by indirect georeferencing using ground control points. This absolute orientation was considered as the reference and was used for validating the other two methods. The IFP method was demonstrated to be the most accurate and the easiest to implement. It was also found to be less demanding in terms of image quality and overlap. However, even though a flat landscape is the type most widely encountered in wildlife surveys in Africa, we recommend estimating IFP sensitivity at an accentuation of the relief. [less ▲]

The use of UASs (Unmanned Aerial Systems) in wildlife survey is still recent but the fast development of this technology shows great possibilities and it could soon become an inevitable tool in wildlife ... [more ▼]

The use of UASs (Unmanned Aerial Systems) in wildlife survey is still recent but the fast development of this technology shows great possibilities and it could soon become an inevitable tool in wildlife management. The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility of inventories by UAS to survey large mammals in the Nazinga Game Ranch in the south of Burkina Faso. The Gatewing X100TM equipped with a Ricoh GR III camera was used to test the animal reaction as it passed, and their visibility on the images. A set of more than 7000 images was collected and observations revealed that only elephants (Loxodonta africana) were easily visible while medium and small sized mammals were not. At a height of 100 m the easy observation of elephant allows experts to enumerate them on images and no reaction was recorded as the UAS passed. We therefore implemented an aerial strip sample count along transects used for the annual wildlife foot count. A total of 34 elephants has been recorded on 4 transects, each overflown twice. The elephant density was estimated at 2.47 elephants/km2 with a coefficient of variation (CV%) of 36.10 %. UAS inventory of elephants is promising but improvements need to be done. The main drawback of our UAS was its autonomy. If we wish to replace manned aircraft survey of large areas (about 1000 km of transect per day vs 40 km for our UAS), increased endurance of small UAS is a requirement and the monitoring strategy should be adapted according to the sampling plan. Also, the UAS is as expensive as a second-hand light aircraft. However the logistic and flight implementation are easier, the running costs are lower and its use is safer. With technological evolution making civil UASs more efficient, they will be able to compete with light aircrafts for aerial wildlife surveys. [less ▲]